The Living Remain

About

The Living Remain is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Five Finger Studios and was released on March 27, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Living Remain" is a VR first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead. As soldier Grant Montgomery, players must survive and scavenge for resources while searching for their family. With the help of an ally over the radio, they will explore diverse environments and upgrade their arsenal in this story-driven campaign.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 179 reviews

story28 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics and a well-designed atmosphere that enhances the immersive experience.
The gunplay is satisfying, with realistic reloading mechanics and a variety of weapons that feel good to handle.
The game rewards exploration, with hidden items and clever puzzles that keep the gameplay engaging.

There are performance issues and bugs, including problems with weapon handling and occasional game-breaking glitches.
The story and character development are somewhat generic, lacking depth compared to other titles in the genre.
Some players experienced frustration with the controls, particularly regarding the lack of a crouch button and the awkwardness of grabbing items.

story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The story in "The Living Remains" is generally viewed as serviceable but somewhat generic, with many players noting its linearity and lack of depth compared to other titles in the genre. While some appreciate the immersive environments and decent voice acting, others feel the narrative could be more engaging and memorable. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with a straightforward plot that serves its purpose, though it leaves room for improvement and expansion in future updates.
- “The environments are well-designed with a clear attention to detail, and the story unfolds naturally as you progress.”
- “I love this game and the story is amazing; I really just wish there was more and I hope you guys make more games like this that keep me wanting.”
- “The world is atmospheric, detailed, and believable with decent voice acting and a compelling (if not exactly groundbreaking) story.”
- “The story is entirely generic and entirely nothing.”
- “Honestly, the story could have been tossed out and it would be the same game.”
- “The story and its progression seem much weaker and more mediocre than Arizona Sunshine - but I guess the devs behind The Living Remain have a much more limited budget.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
45%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the visuals as beautiful and immersive, especially on higher settings, while others criticize them as poor or dated, particularly in certain areas like the skybox. Overall, while some users find the graphics satisfactory and even impressive for an indie title, others feel they fall short and require significant improvement to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful, gunplay is fun and it's really immersive.”
- “Graphics on ultra settings look really well, game runs smooth on RTX 3090.”
- “If you're looking for a zombie game with great visuals and scenery, I recommend this game!”
- “The graphics, movement, controls, and gameplay initially just felt poor.”
- “Graphics are still quite dated and a bit of work on the physics would definitely have helped.”
- “The graphics are horrible; it doesn't even work.”
gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
56%
7%
The gameplay in "The Living Remain" is characterized by satisfying gun mechanics and a tense atmosphere, making it a solid choice for VR action/adventure fans. While the shooting and physics are generally praised, some players find the mechanics, particularly reloading and weapon handling, to be clunky and in need of improvement. The game offers a mix of combat and puzzles, though some aspects, like melee mechanics and environmental interactions, could benefit from further refinement to enhance immersion and gameplay variety.
- “If you’re looking for a well-made action/adventure in VR with solid mechanics, atmosphere, and just the right amount of challenge, The Living Remain is absolutely worth your time.”
- “The guns feel great, the physics feel very solid. When you press your hand or gun against something, it doesn't just push through, but it doesn't feel weird either. You get a little buzz from the controller to let you know you hit something solid. All the puzzle mechanics so far are excellent as well.”
- “It's got everything I want in a VR zombie game - combat is visceral and satisfying with a decent variety of weapons that are fun to use, including one of the best VR pump-action shotguns I've ever used. There are various fun and interesting game mechanics.”
- “The mechanics are quite clunky and need improvement, especially holstering weapons (when seated), reloading, and getting ammo from over your shoulder. The climbing mechanic was the most fluid and fairly easy to do.”
- “The weapons and mechanics surrounding them are pretty rough on the side of lacking. I found that most of the guns felt completely inaccurate to the point of being frustrating to use; it seemed like hits were just not registering.”
- “It's a little clunky, invisible walls are everywhere, puzzles can be solved in one and only one manner (unlike something like Boneworks), and I encountered a bug or two during the first 90 minutes or so of gameplay.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
6%
19%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, effectively balancing dark, detailed environments with smooth gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the variety of atmospheric locations, compelling sound design, and the ability to evoke fear, particularly in dimly lit areas. Overall, the game's atmosphere enhances the action and exploration, making it a standout feature in the VR experience.
- “It strikes a great balance between immersive atmosphere, tight gunplay, and meaningful exploration.”
- “The vibe and atmosphere are on point, and the game's performance was as smooth as butter.”
- “The atmosphere is dark and immersive.”
- “The atmosphere at times has a Resident Evil vibe, but it often feels lacking in depth and immersion.”
- “While the game has some interesting mechanics, the overall atmosphere fails to create a truly engaging experience.”
- “The atmosphere is inconsistent, with some areas feeling lifeless and not contributing to the overall tension of the game.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback; while many players experienced smooth performance and high graphical fidelity on mid-range hardware, some reported initial performance issues that nearly deterred them from continuing. Despite these concerns, the majority found the game well-optimized, particularly praising its ability to run effectively on lower-end systems. However, a few users noted that it still requires further optimization to fully realize its potential.
- “The vibe and atmosphere are on point, and the game's performance was as smooth as butter.”
- “The game has nice pacing, nice story, nice music, nice voice acting, nice combat (minus the melee), and it is very nicely optimized.”
- “The game is so well optimized; I played it on a 2060 laptop and was able to run almost everything on high settings with beautiful and steady FPS.”
- “I was initially disappointed and almost stopped playing - not just because of the performance.”
- “It has a lot of potential but I guess it's not quite optimized in this early stage.”
- “First off, performance.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to its short length and abrupt ending, with many players noting that once the main story is completed, there is little incentive to return. While some users appreciate the option to experiment with different weapons in subsequent playthroughs, the consensus is that significant improvements are needed to enhance replay value.
- “This adds replay value as you can do a run focusing on certain weapons and then try something else next time.”
- “It's also a very short game and ends rather abruptly with not much replay value.”
- “It needs some replayability improvements or a much longer campaign.”
- “Another thing I found annoying is the lack of replay value; once the main story is over, that's it.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the comedic portrayal of zombies and amusing gun handling mechanics, which can lead to unexpected exploits. Players find the blend of humor and gameplay quirks adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
- “Some of the zombies are more funny than scary.”
- “There's some funny gun handling when you try to two-hand the SMG.”
- “This, funny enough, led me to an exploit: you can keep the upgrade points you use on your weapons by loading your last checkpoint.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players encountering minor glitches that do not significantly impact gameplay, while others report severe issues that prevent them from progressing past the tutorial. Overall, the experience varies widely, with some users still finding enjoyment despite the bugs.
- “Completely broken, couldn't even get past the tutorial; it's so damn buggy.”
- “There are some glitches in places, but nothing game-breaking.”
- “The game's a bit too short and a bit buggy, but I really enjoyed my time with it; definitely worth the $20 overall.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game features a recurring eerie track that plays during tense moments, which some players found repetitive as it is used consistently throughout the game. Despite this, the overall pacing, story, and voice acting were praised, contributing to a well-optimized experience.
- “The game has nice pacing, nice story, nice music, nice voice acting, nice combat (minus the melee), and it is very nicely optimized.”
- “Like very early in the game, you enter this warehouse building and I realized the eerie music you hear is being used over and over again; it wasn't just for that part of the campaign. Throughout the game, until the very end, if you're ever in a scary situation, you hear the same eerie song.”
- “I quickly found that they reuse the same eerie song when you're in a creepy situation.”
- “Very early in the game, you enter a warehouse building and I realized the eerie music you hear is being used over and over again. It wasn't just for that part of the campaign; throughout the game, until the very end, if you're ever in a scary situation, you hear the same eerie song.”
- “The repetitive use of the same eerie music throughout the game really detracts from the atmosphere.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game impactful, as it evokes a sense of tension and survival amidst a deteriorating world, highlighting the lingering presence of hope and human resilience despite the chaos.
- “It was neat as it made me feel like things have gotten bad, but it's not like everyone is gone yet. Some people are still hunkering down and obviously paranoid about that guy popping zombies in the street.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game launched unexpectedly, with players noting a lack of marketing or advertisements related to its monetization strategy.